Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks In cybersecurity

Introduction

^{A real world cybersecurity issue I chose is phishing attacks, which is a type of social engineering.
Phishing is when hackers trick people into giving up personal information like passwords, bank details
etc. I picked this topic because it shows that cybersecurity is not just about computers and systems but
also about people and how they react.}
Analysis

^{Phishing attacks work because they target human emotions. Hackers often use fear, urgency or trust to
make people act fast without thinking. For example, they may send an email saying your bank account
is locked and tell you to click a link right away. Psychology helps explain how emotions can affect
decisions. Sociology shows how people trust authority or messages that look real. Anthropology can
also help because culture and communication styles can influence whether someone believes that
message or not. The effects of phishing on people can be serious and people tend to lose money, get
their identity stolen etc. Businesses can also lose customer trust and money if their employees fall for
phishing scams.}

Solutions
^{To stop phishing attacks, companies should use both technology and human-focused solutions.
Technical solutions include scam filters, multi- authentication and secure email systems. Human
solutions include training workers, teaching people how to spot scams, and running fake phishing tests
for practice. Companies should also make their real messages clear so people know what is legitimate.
One thing people struggle with is they intend to ignore training or think it cannot happen to them. To
fix this training should be simple, interactive and updated often.}

Reflection

^{This case study showed me that cybersecurity and social sciences go together. Technology alone cannot
stop attacks if people are still being manipulated. Understanding human behavior can help create
stronger protection. That is why combining both areas is important in today’s digital world.}
References

^{Hadnagy, C. (2018). Social engineering: The science of human hacking. Wiley. Verizon. (2024). Data
breach investigations report.}